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54. Minori will try her best! 2 (During the match)
“Hhhaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!”
At the same time as the buzzer that indicating the start if the match sounded, Minori went to attack Arino with superhuman movements that almost at the speed of teleportation, it was possible because she is wearing the regular Super Arts equipment.
However, the blow is prevented by Arino’s two crowbars.
A dull, loud sound echoed throughout the venue. The impact of a sword and a crowbar hitting each other produced the sound. It was a big impact that no one could think came from it.
However, the two people in the center of the field continued to exchange blow. When the sword was shining in the light of the light, the crowbar repels it with a dull light to counter it.
Innumerable offenses and defenses are repeated in a breath, and those who are watching in the audience are stunned by the speed.
「”W-w-w-w-what a spectacular sight! Even the shock has been transmitted to the commentator seat!” 」
「”This is amazing. I don’t think both of them are at high school level.” 」
In fact, their afterimages could be seen even through the monitor.
CLANG! , A loud noise reverberated, and the two who were clashing with each other kept a distance from each other.
“As expected, you’re not going to let me win easily, huh?”
“Of course.”
When Minori said so and sighed, Arino replied with a face saying that, ‘are you out of your mind?’, in response to the words.
“It’s my turn to attack.”
When Arino declared that and approached Minori while walking slowly. And she stopped moving when she reached a little outside the range of Minori’s swords. She stood in the same position for a few seconds.
At the next moment, Arino closed the gap at once and attacked Minori’s head from right side with a crowbar in her right hand.
“Humph!”
Minori dodged it by bending her back lightly.
In the previous exchange, Minori was mainly in attack and Arino was in defense, but this time Arino went out to attack.
Minori calmly dodged the attack that was launched to her. However, Arino launched attacks one after another without hesitation.
「”O-Oooohhh! This is amazing! Arino attacks so fiercely like a storm, but none of it hit Saegusa! None of it hit her! Saegusa keep dodging all of it!”」
As the commentator said, the students who were watching Minori who dodged all the attacks from Arino at the venue raised an amazed voice, ‘Ooooohhh!’.
But still, Arino’s attack was not over yet.
Minori dodged all the vicious attacks that were launched to her from all directions, but Arino’s attacks did not seem to end at all. Moreover, since there was no gap between the continuous attacks, it was not possible for her to move far away from her position.
Minori made a frustrated voice at the unstoppable attack.
“So annoying!”
Minori thought to receive the next attack and push Arino back.
When the next attack launched to Minori, she tried to swing her sword to the direction of the crowbar that was launched to her, and push Arino away from her.
“TCH!“
However, on the contrary, Minori was the one who got blown away. She managed to regain her posture while stumbling and flew far back to avoid Arino’s pursuit.
「”HOHO?! Saegusa have been blown away by Arino! The superhuman strength that she shown doesn’t match her petite physique!”」
The venue was heated by Arino’s attack that does not match her physique.
Minori was away
 maybe about 10 meters from Arino, and she gazed at her.
As the commentator said, Minori may have been a little confused by Arino’s physique.
Minori heard that Arino was stronger than how she looked, but Minori decided that Arino was weaker than herself because of the petite physique.
“I am stronger than you.”
Arino declared so.
“
 But I’m better at speed.”
Certainly, when I swung my sword with the intention of pushing her back, I was the one who got blown away. When our attack collided with each other, I realized that her power is one level higher than mine. But if it’s about speed, it’s different story. I can move faster than this, and I can still manage her attack somehow.
Arino, who heard the words, looked at Minori with a mysterious look.
“What?”
“You just said something strange.”
“
 strange?”
“I’m not serious yet.”
‘Even so, I’m convinced that I’m better than you

’, When Minori heard the words while thinking so, a line of sweat ran down from her face.
That’s not true
 right? But I can understand that she’s not bluffing by seeing the atmosphere that’s coming from her. I don’t think I’m losing yet

 But, maybe our strength not that different 

Then!, I need to finish this before she show her full strength!
The moment I tried to attack her with that in mind, suddenly a crowbar was approaching me from front.
My body reacted faster than I thought, and I managed to repel it.
“What the
!”
‘How?’, when the word came to my mind, I knew the reason immediately. In short, she threw one of her crowbars.
Arino took the crowbar that was repelled to the air and continued her momentum to attack from the sky.
Minori received the attack with her sword, but the impact she received from the attack squeaked not only her arms but her entire body.
Minori managed to repel it somehow, but the scene that she just saw, the tip of the dull glowing crowbar approaching her from front, reminded her the word ‘fear’.
“Y-you piece
!”
Minori fired up her squeaky body, swung her sword with all she got and push Arino away from her with it.
Arino, who was pushed back, spun like an acrobat in the air and landed on the ground.
And, both of them stare at each other again.
「”W-what a breathtaking offense and defense! Was there such a fierce battle ever happened in the qualification match?!”」
「”Well, both of them are amazing. No one can think that Saegusa is just a freshman and new player. But overall, Arino seems to have more room.”」
「”So, it’s a difference in experience?! But we haven’t seen one of them land a single clean hit so far! Now, which one will win this match?!”」
“So, you’re not going to attack?”
“
”
Minori replied Arino’s words in silent.
This was because of what Arino just did to Minori, she had no choice but to be became more vigilant.
When Arino saw such Minori, she tilted his neck a little, and
.
“Then, I’ll go again 
”
She rushed to Minori with that word.
‘She’s coming!’
With that in mind, Minori enhanced her concentration as she prepared to greet Arino who was heading straight to her from front.
Then, at the moment Arino entering the range of Minori’s sword, she disappeared from Minori’s eyes.
‘She made a difference move!’
‘Left!’
Minori managed to catch the sight of Arino out of the corner of her eyes, but the crowbar has already been thrown to her direction.
In response, Minori jumped back.
‘Avoid
! I can’t!’
The crowbar didn’t hit her directly, but it’s pointed tip scooped her torso and slightly scraped off the gym clothes and Minori’s flesh around her torso. At the same time, Arino stepped on the ground and went to pursuit Minori.
Minori got a direct hit in her belly because her movement was delayed in order to avoid the crowbar.
Minori managed to bear the hit, but another crowbar approached from her right.
“Ughh! You
!”
And, sparks can be seen.
Minori managed to receive the crowbar with her sword, but Arino’s attack was not over yet. It was the same unstoppable continuous attack as the previous time.
However, this time Minori didn’t go on full defense. She tried to attack Arino while parrying the attacks. And her attack managed to cut through Arino’s body little by little. However, at the same time, Minori’s body was also scraped off by Arino’s attack.
And the number of scratches in Minori was a lot more than in Arino. It was an evidence that Arino’s speed was slightly faster than Minori’s speed.
Minori keep trying to receive Arino’s attack. She doesn’t even know how many times she did that already.
―――― And the next moment, Minori’s head got a direct hit.
「”Arino’s high kick hits Saegusa’s head from the left side directly! Saegusa rolls with great momentum! It’s a strong blow! Has the match been decided?!” 」
The audience fell in silent to the sight.
However


「”W-w-weeeellll!! Saegusa got up right away! What a tough Lady! Is her body made of iron?! Alright, Let’s call her ‘Iron Lady Saegusa’ from now on!!”」
「”But
. she must have taken a lot of damage from that attack.”」
「”OHO! Thank you for the analysis, Takeda-sensei. Now! Can Saegusa who received a lot of damage win this battle?!”」
Just a little
 she was just a little bit faster than me. In addition, the crowbars in her hands took my attention the most 

 Thanks to that, she got me good. The inside of my head is spinning around, but with my fighting spirit, I managed to calm it. And I think
.
‘Arino-senpai is stronger than me.’
Minori laughed unintentionally when she recognized that as a fact.
Minori smiled because she was sure that the one who will win is her.
Arino saw Minori, who was smiling, with a mysterious look on her face.
“What’s so interesting about this? I’m better than you at power and speed. You should just give up now.”
When Minori heard Arino’s words, she made a smirking look as if Arino had said something strange.
“Did I say something strange?”
“Yes, you said as if you’ve already won
”
Arino made a slightly dissatisfied face.
“I’m not saying anything strange. After all, I’m better in power and speed, so of course, I’m the one who will win.”
‘Fufufu’, Minori laughed to Arino’s words.
“Still, even if you’re better than me in power and speed. It’s strange to declare victory just because of that.”
“
.. Stop acting tough.”
“No, I’m not acting. I’ll prove it now.”
Minori took a deep breath.
“
 After all, the tenacity of the maiden in love is stronger than anything!”
With that words, Minori rushed to Arino. Minori mustered all the strength that she had to launch the last attack.
What was launched was a flash-like thrust.
Arino was calm when she saw the thrust. She thought, ‘one crowbar to parry the trust, and the other crowbar to finish the game.’
Arino resolved herself to do it. The bar moved as what Arino envisioned, and then the sword will be thrown
. It was supposed to end like that.
―――― However, the sword’ direction of trust was slightly moved.
Seeing that, Arino forcibly winds up the other crowbar together. And this time, she succeeded in parrying the sword.
‘I won!’, Arino, who was convinced of her victory, heard a voice.
“Your body is wide open
”
Because of the forcible winding, both of Arino’s arms were raised, and naturally the body was wide open.
Of course, it was just a momentary gap, but Minori took that gap.
And, Arino’s spine trembled.
A horrifying thing just happened.
Minori attacked Arino’s solar plexus using her fist with all her might!
“Uu, Uuggghh”
That sound leaked from Arino’s mouth.
“I won’t let you go 
”
It wouldn’t be strange if Arino was blown away in the same way as Minori, but Arino hasn’t moved from her original position
. No, it wasn’t that she wasn’t moving, but she can’t move. Because Minori was holding Arino’s clothes so that she wouldn’t fly.
And that means
 of course, a chance to land another attack.
Seeing Arino who was bending her body in a dogleg shape because she got hit in her solar plexus, Minori moved her knees up and it hit Arino’s chin.
When Arino face rose from bellow because of that, Minori immediately grabbed Arino’s head and slammed it on the floor.
Minori saw Arino who she just slammed to the ground.


Their eyes met. And Minori saw that there was still a will to win in her eyes.
Looking at her eyes, Minori felt shivers down her spine. Then, she tried to pull her arm back in a hurry, but her arm didn’t move. She noticed that Arino had caught her arm.
Unpalatable! The words passed through Minori’s mind.
The next moment, Arino hangs on Minori’s arm.
“Do you think
! I will let you?!”
Minori squeezed the remaining strength she had and forcibly removed her arm. Then, she hit Arino’s face which had become empty with the bottom of her palm.
At the same time, there was a dull sound.
Then, Minori slowly raised her hips. Then slowly raised her arms while looking out over the audience seats.
The buzzer that indicating the end of the match sounded, and the word ‘K.O.’ appeared on the monitor in the center. Finally, the students in the audience seats grasped the situation



That the match is over.
And the next moment, a loud cheer filled the venue.